Golf courses challenge golfers to adapt and successfully play through various types of terrain between the tee box and the hole. The fairway, the area between the tee box and the putting green, often has short, evenly-cut grass. In contrast, the rough refers to areas between the fairway and the out-of-bound markers, as well as areas between a mowed apron surrounding the green and out of bounds areas. Grass in the rough is high and coarse, making the rough a difficult area from which to hit. The distance and direction a golf ball travels after being hit is significantly impacted by the contact between the sole of the club head and the ground, which is influenced by terrain type. For example, when striking a golf ball from the rough, contact between the grass and the club head slows the golfer's swing speed and often causes the club head to twist prior to impact resulting in off-centered shots.
Certain approaches to helping the golfer hit the ball in the intended direction for the desired distance have produced golf clubs with larger striking faces. By having a larger striking face, a greater contact area between the ball and the club head is provided. The thought is that a club with a larger striking face will move in a straighter line along the swing plane, projecting the golf ball in a straight direction. However, these clubs do not necessarily resist twisting, and certain types of terrain continue to disrupt the club head prior to contact with the ball, resulting in off-centered shots that propel the golf ball in unintended directions for undesirable distances. Such unpredictable results do not accurately reflect the golfer's skill or strategy for a given shot, which hinders the golfer's skill development.